2010Taking the ‘E’ out of Mixed

When we first developed the ‘Mix-d:’ concept back in 2007 our aim was to create a logo which was strong, unique, and favourable. At the same time it was important to establish a brand symbol which could stand alone and represent mixed-race experiences.

One Friday evening in late 2007 I was having a drink with a friend and scribbling ‘mixed’ on the back of a beer mat. In an unforced moment of creativity, complimented by an after-work glass of beer, it came to me.

One of the core aspects of my work has been to remove any artificial additives which have clogged up this discussion. By artificial additives, I mean negative assumptions, inherited prejudices and false claims.

I am a person who likes to think in metaphors. This is something I’ve done from being a child and apparently can infuriate my close friends. Anyway, whilst doodling that Friday evening I took the letter ‘e’ out of mixed and replaced it with a hyphen.

Now, if you are following my thought pattern you will see the metaphorical thinking come into play. When we remove artificial additives (commonly know as E’s or E numbers) from food we are left with a fresh, healthy, artificial free product.

Similarly, by removing the letter ‘e’ from ‘mix-d:’ we are left with a fresh, healthy and artificial free ‘mix-d:’.

On the 25th January 2010 we received our trademark registration for ‘mix-d:’. This was an exciting and a significant land mark for us. That afternoon I was explaining to a client, why the letter ‘E’ had been taken out and realised I hadn’t made this clear to everyone.

So, for a little extra clarity I’ve jotted down 3 important things you didn’t know about the term.

1. Mix-d: is pronounced (Mixed) at all times!!

2. We have taken out the letter ‘E’ and modified ‘mix-d:’ to symbolise the removal of artificial additives (in this case referring to past historical prejudices) and to make way for a fresh new dialog.

3. The colon at the end of ‘Mix-d:’ is used exactly the same way it would be used in any punctuation. It means: ‘from the general to the specific. The dictionary definition is: • that a writer is separating two clauses of which the second expands or illustrates the first. I think of ‘Mix-d:’ as a tree trunk with a number of branches.

The colon represents where the branches reach out from the trunk. For example, our Mix-d: Manchester franchise, looks at the specific dynamics of mixed-race experiences within that area which are different in many ways to Leicester, Birmingham, London, etc. So the colon allows us to convey a message that mixed-race experiences around and out side the UK are at the same time different and similar.